Spotlight on some of the key women in the Rouse Hill Hospital team

Rowena Sequeira 

Rowena Sequeira is an associate principal and health planner at architecture firm HDR. She is also the Health Planning Lead for the Rouse Hill Hospital Project.

She considers it a privilege to be working as an architect to design health facilities. “As architects, we get to create safe and efficient patient and staff- healing spaces that blend technology, sustainability, and comfort, to ultimately make a real impact on people’s lives,” she said.

Working as an architect for almost 20 years, she said she never intended to specialise in the health sector. It was a chance encounter with a recruitment agent who talked her into accepting a health planner role after finishing her master’s degree that got her in. “That was 13 years ago, and the rest is history,” she said. Her work experience has included working on everything from residential and industrial developments to projects in the Middle East. 

Speaking on challenges in working in the architectural field, she said it involves long hours, tight deadlines, managing multiple clients, navigating regulations and juggling creative ideas with budgets and practical needs. “The industry can be competitive, and balancing work with personal life isn’t always easy, but it is worth it in the end to see your design come to life. I wouldn’t trade it for anything,” she said.

For those looking to get into the industry, she said having confidence in your abilities and trusting your skills and ideas were important. She recommended attending industry events, networking, and seeking mentors.

Julianne Harvey

Julianne Harvey is the redevelopment lead at Western Sydney Local Health District (WSLHD) where she oversees major capital works projects across the district including Rouse Hill Hospital Development. Her role involves providing expert advice and acting as a conduit between staff, consumers and the integrated project team to ensure that new and refurbished health facilities meet the needs of WSLHD’s growing community.

Julianne started as a graduate nurse in the medical high dependence unit at Westmead 20 years ago where she got promoted to Nursing Unit Manager before taking a career break to have children.

After returning to work, she made to the switch to redevelopment projects in WSLHD. “At the start of my new job, it was a really steep learning curve for me around health facility planning, design and construction,” she said.
She said she learnt very quickly that her role didn’t require her to know everything. “It was about being part of a great integrated project team with people who had a lot of expertise and together we would come up with the right approach and solution,” she said.

For those looking to join the industry, she suggests being comfortable in what you can bring to the table, forming relationships and collaborating with people who have a range of expertise.

Silvia Campos

Silvia Campos is a project coordinator on the Rouse Hill Hospital project at Health Infrastructure. Health Infrastructure oversees the planning, design and construction of health capital works over $10 million in NSW. 

After starting her career in marketing, she made the transition to project management on infrastructure projects nearly ten years ago and hasn’t looked back. She said her work in Health Infrastructure has given her the opportunity to deepen her expertise in project management, particularly in hospital redevelopment initiatives aimed at enhancing patient care and operational efficiency.

She said challenges include incorporating feedback from a variety stakeholders and building trust when also striving to keep the project on track and aligned with its goals.

For others interested in joining the industry, she recommends prioritising respect for yourself and others and not hesitating to task questions. “If you feel uncertain because of your limited experience, view this as a valuable chance to learn while sharing the skills and knowledge you've gained from previous roles,” she said.

“Each step you take not only builds your resilience and confidence but also provides you with opportunities to grow and make meaningful contributions to your new environment as well as to the industry.”